Angela Corey Is Out of Office

Today people all over the web are talking about Angela Corey, mostly in celebration of her recent defeat in a re-election bid during last night’s primary. If her name doesn’t sound familiar and you aren’t sure why people are celebrating, here’s what you should know:

1. Angela Corey was the Florida prosecutor who handled George Zimmerman’s case in the shooting of Trayvon Martin. She also prosecuted Marissa Alexander, the woman who fired a warning shot at her husband in self-defense, and was subsequently sentenced to 20 years in prison.
2. According to Huffington Post, “Corey personally boasted one of the highest rates of death sentences in the U.S. and has sentenced more people to death than any other prosecutor in Florida.”

Totally getting wicked witch of the West vibes.

via GIPHY

Now that the attorney is officially out of office, public defenders and academics are rejoicing. Even singer John Legend had a few comments about Corey, as part of his FreeAmerica initiative:

 …Today the voters in Jacksonville and throughout Florida’s 4th Judicial Circuit have decided that Angela Corey failed in that responsibility by aggressively seeking the death penalty and egregiously charging juveniles, particularly those of color, as adults.  Her tactics have been rejected by her community, and we applaud the voters for rejecting them. This is a sign of positive things to come in our fight for a #FREEAMERICA.

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A six-second video of a game of beer pong has lead to an arrest warrant and  intensive manhunt for Ethan Couch, the famed “affluenza teen” who avoided jail time two years ago for the drunk-driving deaths of four people because he was rich.

New information released in search for “affluenza” teen Ethan Couch. https://t.co/CZNUqUhWT5 pic.twitter.com/oaPyt5QTut

— WPEC CBS12 News (@CBS12) December 21, 2015

Couch, 18, missed an appointment with his probation officer on December 10, leading authorities to issue a warrant for his arrest. Now authorities believe his mother, Tonya, is helping to hide him after he was labeled a missing person on nationwide databases Monday.

The decision to run comes just a few weeks after the beer pong video surfaced on social media, showing Couch partying with others. The video alone isn’t proof of Couch violating his probation since the teen isn’t seen drinking, but an investigation into the incident may have caused him to flee.

ya boy ethan couch violating probation. i got more if u want @CityofBurleson @TarrantCountyDA pic.twitter.com/otiGprQ1uD — h (@BlondeSpectre) December 2, 2015

Couch was 16-years-old when a drunken joyride with his friends ended with him mowing down a young woman changing a flat tire and the three pedestrians who stopped to help her. His lawyer used expert testimony from a psychologist to convince a judge that he was unable to appreciate the consequences of his actions because he suffered from “affluenza,” thanks to a whole lot of money and bad parenting.

Instead of serving jail time, the Texas teen was sentenced to therapy at a long-term in-patient facility and 10 years of probation. But for many, the sentence only perpetuated Couch’s lack of accountability and offered no justice for his victims.

Now authorities are offering a $5,000 reward to anyone with information leading to an arrest. Unfortunately it’s unclear exactly how long he has been at large, and due to the family’s considerable financial resources, the pair could have already fled the country.

The judge that sentenced #ethancouch should be investigated & made to resign. Couch committed mass murder and is now on a beach in Mexico.

— Born2Rezist (@Born2Rezist) December 16, 2015

The whole situation just reeks of irony. A judge avoided a tough sentence that would have held him accountable for four people’s deaths, because he doesn’t have a history of being held accountable. It just doesn’t make sense. If authorities are able to capture Couch and his mother, hopefully they won’t get away with yet another slap on the wrist.

Alexis Evans

Alexis Evans is an Assistant Editor at Law Street and a Buckeye State native. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and a minor in Business from Ohio University. Contact Alexis at aevans@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post ‘Affluenza’ Teen Ethan Couch on the Run, Missing Mom Presumed Helping appeared first on Law Street.

Rachel Canning is an 18-year-old girl in New Jersey who attends private school. She’s a good student who excels athletically and is in the process of receiving college acceptances. And she’s also currently involved in a lawsuit — against her parents.

The facts are still a little muddled, but here’s the basic outline: Rachel Canning turned 18 in November, at which point her parents threatened to cut her off financially and emotionally. She claims the threat was unwarranted; her parents claim that it was the result of her refusal to follow any of their house rules. It was at this point that Rachel voluntarily left her home to stay with a friend. Her parents stopped paying her pricy high school tuition, and have said that they will not pay for her college education unless she makes changes. So Rachel is suing them for financial support, claiming that she was abandoned. Her parents claim that she is just acting spoiled and that she made the choice to leave and she’s welcome back at any time.

It’s taking a lot of effort for me to keep this post from becoming a total rant about this girl and people like her. But really, the world doesn’t need another article complaining about my generation. I’ve read plenty. And they all say the same thing — we’re spoiled, lazy, entitled, brats. Just read this headline by Forbes: “Are Millennials ‘Deluded Narcissists?'”  I’ve also read dozens of articles combatting that notion and pointing out that pretty much every generation has been derided by their elders. For example: “Why Hiring Millennials is Good for Your Business.” Do a Google search on millennials and you’ll find hundreds of articles in this vein. It’s a hot topic, and everyone has an opinion.

Canning’s story isn’t the only one that’s earned national derision recently. This fall, a teenager named Ethan Couch drove drunk and caused a gruesome accident that killed 4 people. His defense team argued that he had “affluenza,” meaning that he had been raised with so much privilege and so utterly without limits on his behavior that he did not understand the potential consequences of his actions. He will be serving no jail time, but instead will be put on probation and sent to a rehab facility.

Or let’s look at pop culture. “Rich Kids of Beverly Hills” is a show that follows the lives of incredibly wealthy young people. Here’s my favorite clip, in which 25-year-old Roxy complains about her parents cutting her off (except that by “cut off” she means she can still live at home, drive the car they bought her, and receive spending money):

Or, check out this blog: White Whine: A Collection of First World Problems. There are some real winners on there, like this one:

Before I continue, I feel like I need to include a disclaimer: I am relatively privileged. I have had very little struggle in my life. I was raised by wonderful parents who were able to support me when needed. I’ve tried to thank them for that as best I could, and help out when I can. And I feel very fortunate for all the advantages I’ve been given in life, because I know that I am in a small minority of people who have been given those advantages. I by no means consider myself spoiled, because of the values and work ethic that those same great parents raised me with, but before I criticize anyone else, I feel as though I need to acknowledge that I do come from a place of privilege. I know for a fact I have had some incredibly selfish, dumb, and silly complaints. I am a millennial.

That being said, the way these three and their peers behave flabbergasts me. Literally, it’s unfathomable. Like I said, this could devolve into an insane, probably un-publishable rant about their actions. I could slam them for their ignorance, their laziness, their avarice. I could talk about how I could never imagine acting with such a disgusting sense of entitlement.

But here’s the thing: Rachel Canning, Ethan Couch, and Roxy are in some ways caricatures. They’re extreme examples. Ridiculousness exists at the fringe of society. Very few people have lives like those three. But what bothers me the most is the way that their behavior is institutionalized by society and the law. Couch is the most obvious example — his “affluenza” defense worked. He will not go to prison for the people he killed. Roxy and her friends have their own television show.

We don’t know what will happen to Rachel Canning, and to be fair, we don’t know both sides of the story. There may be more to it, and their family situation may truly be very messed up. But based on what we’ve heard from Rachel and her parents, it seems relatively cut and dry to me. She is asking her parents to continue to support her, against their will, after she has legally become an adult, rather than making any attempt to support herself.

And what bothers me is that Canning’s case may actually make it in front of a judge, and legal experts say that if it does, it may revolutionize family law. Jeralyn Lawrence, the incoming Family Law Section Chair of the New Jersey Bar Association stated, “this could open the floodgates of recalcitrant kids fighting with their parents, moving out and then suing for them to keep paying.” It could mean that teenagers who move out, even teenagers who are 18 or over and legally adults, could demand that their parents continue to support them in front of a court of law. I don’t think my generation, for the most part, is that bad. But if that actually does happen, well, I’m going to have to rescind that statement.

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Anneliese Mahoney (@AMahoney8672) is Lead Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

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